of westminster



A. T. DAWSON AND G. T BUCKHAM.

BALL AND SOCKET MINT.

APPLICATION FILED :uns is, "larg,

1,304,2 miti.

QM/MA,

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

ARTHUR TEEVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS EUCKHAM, OE WESTMINSTEE,

LONDON, ENGLAND, AssieNoEs To vIcKEEs LIMITED, .OE wEsTMINsTEE, y

' ENGLAND.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, knight, andGEoRGE THOMAS BUCK- 1 HAM, both sub-jects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Balland-Socket Joints, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to ball andsocket position and removed when desired. The

chief object ofthe `present invention is to avoid the necessity of employing the screwthreaded plug, thereby reducing the weight of the parts andobviating any weakening of the Socket member, as a result of the cutting away of the material for the reception of the said plug. n n.

According to thisinvention we divide the ball member into two parts (preferably halves) in a plane kat right angles to the ends of the member that carries or passes through the ball member (which member may be in the form of a spindle or the like) the inner surface of the socket being formed with slots or gaps of appropriate size and Shape to enable each of the two parts of the ball member to be passed through edgewise and to be moved together into the operative position for the reception of the aforesaid spindle or the like. The two parts may be locked together in any suitable manner, for example by means of a dovetailed key and keyway, one formed on each part, so that as the second part is bein passed through the slots or gaps in the Soc et the key and keyway engage with one another. The two parts may be further secured against relative sliding movement along the key, by a screw engaging with each part.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect we willfdescribe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which z- Figure l is a sectional elevation showing a constructional form of the invention applied by way of example to the cross-bar for connecting the trail beams or members of a divided-trail gun carriage, this cross-bar hav- Specication of Letters i in Fig. 4 and@ EADL-AND-SOOHET' JOINT.

i. inga ball member rigidly connected thereto at each1 end and at its center carrying anotherzball member -r in whichthe training pivot is rotatably mounted.

Fig. 2 is afview similar to the right hand portion of Fig. l showing the socket with the ball :member removed.

n Patented May 2o, 191e. Application filed rune 1e, 1.915.,l seria1,No.-34,545. s

Fig, 3 is a plan of Fig. l viewed fromloe--V neath. f

FlgJLis aside yelevation of the center ball member. and its socket viewed in the direc tion of the arrow in Fig. l. y

Fig. 5'is a planof the ball member shown Fig. Gis a view Vof the right hand socket oflFig. 3 viewed in the directionV of the arrowin-Fig. 3. y Y r A, Aare thetrailbeams or membersB is the connecting cross-bar.

pivot moving with the carriage or vwith a framesupporting' an upper carriage. D, D

C is the training p representsy the ball members one' connected to each end of theicross-bar B and disposed.. 1n socketsD, 'Dinthe.trail-beamsand E representsl the central ball'member carried.

by a socket E the cross-bar and serving .to rotatably receive the training pivot C.

As shown in the drawings the ball members D, D and lE are made in two parts each of which is in the form of a ring having a spherical periphery; when in position within the socket they are connected together by means of a dovetailed key and keyWay arrangementl (see Figs. 3 and 4) and also, if desired, by screws d, 0l, e engaging with each part for preventing relative sliding movey ment along the keys.

D2, D2, E2, represent the slots or gaps in the sockets D', D, E through which one part of each 'of the ball members D, D, E is first inserted edgewise and is then turned through an angle of 180 degrees about the aXis of the cross-bar B or of the training pivot C. The other part of the ball member is then inserted edgewise through the said slots or gaps and this movement causes the two parts of the ball members to be united by the dovetailed key and keyway above referred to; the ball member as a whole can then be angularly displaced into the required position and the screws d, d, e then inserted.

After the ball members D, D have been caused to occupy the correct positions in their sockets, they are held by means of 110 tommy bars passing through holes CZ, d in the socket-s and co-rresponding holes d2, cl2 in the ball members to enable the cross-bar to be screwed into the said ball members'. The aforesaid securing screws (l, Z are also adapted to engage with screw threaded holes in the cross-bar for the purpose of preventing the latter from rotating about its aXis relatively tothe ball member. With the ball member E the above mentioned eXpedients are of course unnecessary as the training pivot is rotatable within the ball member.

The aforesaid slots or gaps D2, D2, E2, in the sockets for permitting the parts of the ball member to enter may be parallel to but at one side of the aXis of the bar and the pivot, or they may be as shown at an angle to the said axis in which case the center of the slots or gaps may coincide with the said aXes. The said cross-bar may be arranged directly beneath or to the rea-r of the axle tree.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a ball and socket joint, a ball member comprising two parts, each in the form of a ring having a spherical periphery and a socket member formed with apertures through which each of the parts ofthe ball member can be passed edgewise.

2. In a ball and socket joint, a ball ymember comprising ltwo parts, each inv the form of a ring having a spherical periphery, a socket member formed with apertures Copies of this patent may be obtained for've cents each; by addressing the"Commissi`oner of Ilatents,V

throughnvhich each of the parts of the ball member can be passed edgewise, said parts having means whereby as the second ball member part is being placed in position in the socket it will become united with the first ball member part.

3. In a ball and socket joint, a ball member comprising two parts each in the form of a ring having a spherical periphery, a socket member formed on its face with aper tures through which each of the parts of the ball member can be passed edgewise, said parts having means whereby as the second ball member part is being placed in position inthe socketit will become united with the first ball member part.

4. In a ball and socket joint, a ball member comprisingtwo parts each in the form of a ringl having a spherical peripher a socket member formed on its face with apertures through which each of the parts of the ball member can be passed edgewise, one ball member part having a key and the other parthaving a keyway adapted to engage therewith so that as the second part is being placed in position in the socket it will become united with the iirst part.

In testimony whereof We hereunto affix our signatures.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUOKI-IA'M. lVitnesses JNO. K. CAsWELL, GLADYS M. BARDEN.

Washington, D. C. 

